Trailer wiring connector with finger pull hole and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A wiring connector for connecting the lighting system wiring of a first vehicle to the lighting system wiring of a second vehicle so that lights on the first vehicle are activated when corresponding lights on the second vehicle are activated. The connector includes a plurality of terminals configured for coupling with corresponding terminals on a mating connector on the second vehicle; a plurality of wires each having one end electrically coupled with one of the terminals and another end for electrically connecting to the wiring of the first vehicle lighting system; a wire-retaining ring; and a housing formed around the terminals, the wires, and the wire-retaining ring, the housing including a central opening within the wire-retaining ring.

RELATED APPLICATION

This continuation patent application claims priority benefit with regardto all common subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/093,946, filed Apr. 8, 2016, and entitled “TRAILER WIRING CONNECTORWITH FINGER PULL HOLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME,” which claims priorityto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/288,031, filed Jan. 28,2016, and entitled “TRAILER WIRING CONNECTOR AND FINGER PULL HOLE ANDMETHOD OF MAKING SAME,” which both are hereby incorporated by referencein their entirety into the present application.

BACKGROUND

Trailer wiring connectors are often used to interconnect the lightingsystem wiring of a towing vehicle such as a truck to the lighting systemwiring of a towed vehicle such as a boat trailer so that the turnsignals, tail lights, and/or other lights on the towed vehicle areactivated at the same time as the corresponding lights on the towingvehicle. Such connectors typically include one connector coupled to thewiring on the towed vehicle and a mating connector coupled to the wiringon the towing vehicle. These mating connectors are difficult to pullapart, especially when they get wet and/or coated with grease, oil, orother lubricants used on vehicles. Because of this, users often “wiggle”and flex the connectors while pulling them apart, which often damagesthe terminals of the connectors.

SUMMARY

The present invention solves the above-described problems by providingan improved wiring connector that is easier to disconnect from a matingconnector. The invention also provides an improved method of making sucha connector. The wiring connector may be configured for connecting tothe wiring of either a towed vehicle or a towing vehicle.

A wiring connector constructed in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention broadly includes a plurality of terminals configured forcoupling with corresponding terminals on a mating connector and aplurality of wires each having one end electrically coupled with one ofthe terminals and another end for electrically connecting to the wiringof a vehicle lighting system. The wiring connector also includes ahousing formed around the terminals and the wires. The housing includesa central opening that serves as a finger pull hole that allows a userto more easily grip the connector and pull it straight away from amating connector without wiggling or flexing the connectors relative toone another.

In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the wiringconnector also includes a wire-retaining ring for holding the wires ofthe connector around the central opening in the housing duringfabrication of the connector. An embodiment of the wire-retaining ringincludes a raceway having an outer wall and an inner wall that defines acentral opening; and a plurality of prongs extending from the outer wallof the raceway for holding portions of the wires adjacent the outer wallof the raceway so that the wires are routed around the central openingin the ring to permit formation of an unobstructed central opening inthe housing.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the housing may beformed of a semi-transparent or translucent material such that thewire-retaining ring, terminals, and wires within the housing are visiblefrom the exterior of the connector. An LED or other light may be placedinside the housing and electrically connected to one or more of theterminals to illuminate the connector from within whenever it is pluggedinto a mating connector. This provides an immediate indication that theconnector 10 has been properly connected to its mating connector andserves as a beacon that aids a user in locating the connector.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described in the detailed descriptionbelow. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspectsand advantages of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanyingdrawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below withreference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wiring connector constructed inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal components of the wiringconnector of FIG. 1 with its housing removed so as to show the internalcomponents of the connector.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wire-retaining ring inside thewiring connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a wiring connector constructed inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specificembodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of embodiments of the inventionreferences the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are intended todescribe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can beutilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of theclaims. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to betaken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is definedonly by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents towhich such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or“embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to areincluded in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separatereferences to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” inthis description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and arealso not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Forexample, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment mayalso be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included.Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinationsand/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Turning now to the drawing figures and initially FIG. 1, a wiringconnector 10 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention is illustrated. An embodiment of the wiring connector 10 isconfigured to be connected to the lighting system wiring on a trailer,boat, camper, or any other towed vehicle and mates with a correspondingconnector on a truck, car, or other towing vehicle so as to interconnectthe towed vehicle lighting system with the towing vehicle lightingsystem. Other embodiments of the connector may be designed forconnecting to the lighting system on a towing vehicle and configured forcoupling with a mating connector on a towed vehicle. The illustratedconnector is a 4-way flat connector that is configured for coupling witha mating 4-way flat connector on a towing vehicle. However, theconnector 10 may instead be a 5-way flat connector, a 7-blade connector,a 6-way round type connector, or any other style of connecter, as theparticular shape and configuration of the connector is not important tothe present invention.

The wiring connector 10 broadly comprises a plurality of terminalsconfigured for coupling with corresponding terminals on a matingconnector and a plurality of wires each having one end electricallycoupled with one of the terminals and another end for electricallyconnecting to the wiring of the towed vehicle lighting system. Thewiring connector also includes a housing formed around the terminals andthe wires. The housing includes a central opening that serves as afinger pull hole that allows a user to more easily grip the connectorand pull it straight away from the mating connector on the towed vehiclewithout wiggling or flexing the connectors relative to one another. Thewiring connector also includes a wire-retaining ring for holding thewires in place while the wiring connector is fabricated. Thewire-retaining ring includes a raceway that defines a central openingand a plurality of prongs extending from the raceway for holdingportions of the wires so that the wires are routed around the centralopenings of the ring and the housing.

More specific embodiments of the wiring connector 10 will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. An embodiment of theconnector 10 has a terminal 12 connected to a wire 14 to be connected tothe towed vehicle's right turn light assembly, a terminal 16 connectedto a wire 18 to be connected to the towed vehicle's left turn lightassembly, a terminal 20 connected to a wire 22 to be connected to thetowed vehicle's tail light assembly (which may be the towed vehicle'sleft and right turn light assemblies), and a terminal 24 connected to awire 26 to be connected to a ground connector. The order, placement, andnumber of terminals may be varied without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

The wiring connector 10 may also include LEDs or other indicators forthe terminals 12, 16, 20 to indicate wiring continuity between theterminals and the corresponding terminals on a mating connector on atowed vehicle. For example, an LED for a terminal may turn on, blink, orchange color if a signal is present on the terminal, thus indicating thecorresponding signal of the towed vehicle has been activated and thecorresponding right turn signal on the towed vehicle should also beactivated.

In the embodiment of the wiring connector 10 shown in FIG. 1, theterminals 12, 16, 20, 24, wires 14, 18, 22, 26, and other circuitry ofthe connector are molded into a housing 28 having a central circularopening 30. The opening 30 may be any shape and size, and in oneembodiment is circular and approximately ¾-2 inches in diameter. Theopening 30 allows a user to more securely grip the connector 10 andconnect it to or remove it from a mating connector without twisting itor moving it side-to-side and placing stress on the wires 14, 18, 22, 26and terminals 12, 16, 20, 24. Specifically, a user may insert one ormore fingers into the opening 30 when attaching or detaching theconnector to or from a mating connector and pull the wiring connection10 straight away from its mating connector without wiggling theconnectors relative to one another.

When manufacturing the wiring connector 10, the wires 14, 18, 22, 26connected to the terminals 12, 16, 20, 24 must be routed around thecentral circular opening 30 during the molding operation to prevent thewires from becoming exposed outside the molded housing 28. To accomplishthis, a wire-retaining ring 32 may be used to hold the wires in placeduring fabrication of the connector. The ring 32 may be circular,teardrop shape, rectangular, or any shape that matches the shape andsize of the central opening 30.

The embodiment of the ring 32 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 includes a centralring-shaped raceway 34 and prongs 36, 38 that extend from the raceway toretain the wires in a desired position during the molding operation. Asbest shown in FIG. 2, the prongs are staggered along the circumferenceof the raceway 34, with some of the prongs 36 extending from the top ofthe raceway and some of the prongs 38 extending from the bottom of theraceway so that the wires can be inserted between opposing prongs.

A specific embodiment of the wire-retaining ring 32 will now bedescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 3. The raceway 34 of thering 32 has an outer wall 40, an inner wall 42 that defines a centralopening 44, and spaced apart top and bottom edges 46, 48 which connectthe outer wall 40 and inner wall 42. The top and bottom edges 46, 48 maytaper inwardly toward their outermost edges to provide a correspondingtapering in the central opening 30 of the housing 28. A number of theprongs 36 may extend from the top edge 46 of the raceway and a number ofthe prongs 38 may extend from the bottom edge 48 of the raceway to formsets of opposed prongs. The prongs are formed of plastic or othersemi-flexible materials so that their ends may be pushed apart slightlyto permit the wires to be positioned between opposed prongs and routedaround the central opening. The distal ends of the prongs 36 may haveintegral snap-action hooks for securely holding the wires between theprongs. Once the wires are secured in the ring 32, the housing is moldedaround the ring, terminals, and the wires.

In an embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the housing 28is molded from translucent or semi-transparent materials such that thewire-retaining ring 32; terminals 12, 16, 20, and 24; and the wires 14,18, 22, 26 within the housing are visible from the exterior of thehousing. An LED 50 or other light may be placed inside the moldedhousing 28 and electrically connected to one or more of the terminals toilluminate the connector from within whenever it is plugged into amating connector. This provides an immediate indication that theconnector 10 has been properly connected to its mating connector andserves as a beacon that aids a user in locating the connector.

The above-described embodiments of the wiring connector 10 and otherembodiments may be manufactured by electrically connecting the wires tothe terminals; securing the wires to the wire-retaining ring; and thenmolding the housing around the terminals, the wires, and the racewaysuch that the housing has a central opening within the central openingof the raceway.

Although the invention has been described with reference to thepreferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it isnoted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made hereinwithout departing from the scope of the invention as recited in theclaims. For example, the specific shape, size, and terminalconfiguration of the wiring connector may be changed without departingfrom the principles of the invention. Also, the principles of thepresent invention apply to both wiring connectors for towed vehicles andwiring connectors for towing vehicles.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what isclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includesthe following:
 1. A connector for connecting wiring of a first vehiclelighting system to wiring of a second vehicle lighting system so thatlights on the first vehicle are activated when corresponding lights onthe second vehicle are activated, the connector comprising: a pluralityof terminals configured for coupling with corresponding terminals on amating connector on the second vehicle; a plurality of wires each havingone end electrically coupled with one of the terminals and another endfor electrically connecting to the wiring of the first vehicle lightingsystem; a housing formed around the terminals and the wires, the housingincluding an opening that serves as a finger pull hole to facilitategripping of the connector; and a wire-retainer around which the housingis formed, the wire-retainer including: a central opening and aplurality of wire holders for holding portions of wires routed aroundthe central opening.
 2. The connector as set forth in claim 1, thewire-retainer comprising a wire-retaining ring around which the housingis formed, the wire-retaining ring including: a raceway having an outerwall and an inner wall that defines the central opening; the wireholders comprising a plurality of prongs extending from the outer wallof the raceway for holding portions of the wires adjacent the outer wallof the raceway so that the wires are routed around the central openingof the raceway.
 3. The connector as set forth in claim 2, the racewayhaving spaced apart top and bottom edges which connect the inner walland outer wall, wherein some of the prongs extend from the top edge ofthe raceway and some of the prongs extend from the bottom edge of theraceway so that the wires are held between the prongs extending from thetop edge of the raceway and the prongs extending from the bottom edge ofthe raceway.
 4. The connector as set forth in claim 3, wherein theprongs that extend from the top edge of the raceway have downwardlyextending hooks and wherein the prongs that extend from the bottom edgeof the raceway have upwardly extending hooks.
 5. The connector as setforth in claim 2, wherein the housing is molded around the terminals,the wires, and the wire-retaining ring.
 6. The connector as set forth inclaim 1, wherein the housing is molded from translucent materials sothat the terminals and the wires within the housing are at leastpartially visible from outside the connector.
 7. The connector as setforth in claim 6, further comprising a light positioned inside thehousing and electrically connected to one of the terminals such that thelight is illuminated when the connector is connected to the matingconnector on the second vehicle.
 8. A four-way flat connector forconnecting wiring of a first vehicle lighting system to wiring of asecond vehicle lighting system so that lights on the first vehicle areactivated when corresponding lights on the second vehicle are activated,the connector comprising: three terminals configured for coupling withcorresponding terminals on a mating connector on the second vehicle; aground terminal configured for coupling with corresponding groundterminal on the mating connector of the second vehicle; a plurality ofwires each having one end electrically coupled with one of the terminalsor the ground terminal and another end for electrically connecting tothe wiring of the first vehicle lighting system or a ground connection;a housing formed around the terminals and wires, the housing includingan opening that serves as a finger pull hole to facilitate gripping ofthe connector; and a wire-retainer around which the housing is formed,the wire-retainer including: a central opening and a plurality of wireholders for holding portions of wires routed around the central opening.9. The connector as set forth in claim 8, the wire retainer comprising awire-retaining ring around which the housing is formed, thewire-retaining ring including: a raceway having an outer wall and aninner wall that defines a central opening; the wire holders comprising aplurality of prongs extending from the outer wall of the raceway forholding portions of the wires adjacent the outer wall of the raceway sothat the wires are routed around the central opening in the raceway. 10.The connector as set forth in claim 9, the raceway having spaced aparttop and bottom edges which connect the inner wall and outer wall,wherein some of the prongs extend from the top edge of the raceway andsome of the prongs extend from the bottom edge of the raceway so thatthe wires are held between the prongs extending from the top edge of theraceway and the prongs extending from the bottom edge of the raceway.11. The connector as set forth in claim 10, wherein the prongs thatextend from the top edge of the raceway have downwardly extending hooksand wherein the prongs that extend from the bottom edge of the racewayhave upwardly extending hooks.
 12. The connector as set forth in claim9, wherein the housing is molded around the terminals, the wires, andthe wire-retaining ring.
 13. The connector as set forth in claim 9,wherein the housing is molded from translucent materials, the connectorfurther comprising an LED positioned inside the housing and electricallyconnected to one of the terminals such that the LED is illuminated whenthe connector is connected to the mating connector on the second vehicleso that the terminals, the wires, and the wire-retaining ring within thehousing are at least partially visible from outside the connector.
 14. Afour-way flat connector for connecting wiring of a towed vehiclelighting system to wiring of a towing vehicle lighting system so thatlights on the towed vehicle are activated when corresponding lights onthe towing vehicle are activated, the connector comprising: threeterminals configured for coupling with corresponding terminals on amating connector on the towing vehicle; a ground terminal configured forcoupling with corresponding ground terminal on the mating connector ofthe towing vehicle a plurality of wires each having one end electricallycoupled with one of the terminals or the ground terminal and another endfor electrically connecting to the wiring of the towed vehicle lightingsystem or a ground connection; a wire-retaining ring having a centralopening; and a housing formed around the terminals, wires, andwire-retaining ring, the housing including an opening within the centralopening of the wire-retaining ring that serves as a finger pull hole tofacilitate gripping of the connector.
 15. The connector as set forth inclaim 14, the wire-retaining ring including: a raceway having an outerwall, an inner wall that defines the central opening, and spaced aparttop and bottom edges which connect the inner wall and outer wall; and aplurality of prongs extending from the top edge of the raceway and aplurality of prongs extending from the bottom edge of the raceway forholding portions of the wires between the prongs so that the wires arerouted around the central opening.
 16. The connector as set forth inclaim 15, wherein the prongs that extend from the top edge of theraceway have downwardly extending hooks and wherein the prongs thatextend from the bottom edge of the raceway have upwardly extendinghooks.
 17. The connector as set forth in claim 14, wherein the housingis molded around the terminals, the wires, and the wire-retaining ring.18. The connector as set forth in claim 17, wherein the housing ismolded from translucent materials so that the terminals, the wires, andthe wire-retaining ring within the housing are at least partiallyvisible from outside the connector.
 19. The connector as set forth inclaim 17, further comprising a light positioned inside the housing andelectrically connected to one of the terminals such that the light isilluminated when the connector is connected to the mating connector onthe towing vehicle.
 20. A method of making a wiring connector thatconnects wiring of a towed vehicle lighting system to wiring of a towingvehicle lighting system, the method comprising: electrically connectinga plurality of wires to a plurality of terminals; positioning the wiresaround a wire-retaining ring with a central opening; molding a housingaround the terminals, the wires, and the wire-retaining ring such thatthe housing has an opening within the central opening of thewire-retaining ring; and electrically connecting a light to one of thewires and molding the housing around the light such that the lightilluminates the housing from within when the light is lit.